Character Spotlight- Lori Campbell- Freddy VS Jason

 

**This post contains spoilers**

Jason Voorhees (Ken Kirzinger) is on a killing spree in Springwood. After years of intricate and coordinated planning to erase his name from the town, Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund) is back to pick up where he left off during his bloody killing sprees as the Springwood Slasher.

The teenagers of Springwood aren’t safe on the streets, or in their dreams. Who’s going to stop Freddy and Jason’s rampages? The police? The adults? Parents? Nope. Confirming Freddy Krueger’s existence opens a big can of worms, exposing a decades long coverup for a lot of dirty laundry. 

Naturally, the teens have to take matters into their own hands. Lori Campbell (Monica Keena) unknowingly lands on a spot on Freddy’s radar. Lori is already dealing with a lot. A complicated and sometimes uncomfortable relationship with her father, Dr. Campbell (Tom Butler), she misses her old boyfriend, Will Rollins (Jason Ritter), and Lori rejects Blake (David Koop) as a planned replacement for Will. 

Freddy’s plan? He wants to use Jason as his personal assassin to inject fear into Springwood. After Lori’s friend, Gibb (Katharine Isabelle) joins a lengthy list of murdered victims during a disastrous cornfield party, it’s clear Lori needs help to fight back. 

Will Rollins escapes from Westin Hills Psychiatric Hospital during a rainstorm with his friend, Mark Davis (Brendan Fletcher). Will joins Lori, Lori’s friend, Kia (Kelly Rowland), Charlie Linderman (Chris Marquette), Bill (Kyle Labine), and Deputy Scott Stubbs (Lochlyn Munro). 

Together, Lori and the others are determined to eliminate Freddy (with Jason’s help). But taking out Freddy is never as simple as going from point A to point B, and so on. It doesn’t matter how tightly structured the plan is, or if all the right pieces fall into place, when they’re supposed to. The razor gloved demon always finds a way to slip through the cracks.

Lori is a mess throughout the majority of the movie. Lots of screaming and crying. Lori is a hopeless romantic, she panics more than once, but it’s all understandable. She’s tired. She’s exhausted, simply falling asleep comes with fatal consequences, AND Jason is lurking in the shadows? That’s a lot of pressure to deal with for a kid, who’s still in high school.

But Monica Keena brings the essential fiery emotions to Lori during the big finale. When Lori finally learns the truth about Freddy murdering her mother, she, with Will by her side, steps up to put an end to Freddy’s maniacal bloodlust. The look of rage on Keena’s face before she swings Jason’s machete to chop off Freddy’s head is just perfect. It’s the look of a woman, who was fed up. She was tired of running and hiding, and Lori was truly determined to kill Freddy. 

Lori and Will making it to the end as the sole survivors was a predictable outcome. Everyone else? Well, you could say they were just there to add to Freddy and Jason’s high kill counts, but there’s no denying Lori Campbell earned her spot on the list of final girls, who fiercely made the decision to stand and fight against Freddy. You also have to appreciate the cool little details attached to Lori’s character. She lives in Nancy Thompson’s house, and Keena’s character is named after two legendary horror heroines! 

Yes, I know Freddy VS Jason ends with the famous unresolved cliffhanger, reminding the audience that Freddy is still out there somewhere, and it’s only a matter of time before he terrorizes Springwood again. Still, Lori delivered a crushing blow to Freddy’s plans. She played a big role in the seemingly never-ending fight against Freddy Krueger, so she deserved some peace, and a shot at living a normal life with Will.

Jason Universe: Sweet Revenge (2025)(Minor Spoilers)

 **This post contains MINOR spoilers**

The Story- Harold (Chris Carlson), the caretaker, welcomes  Eve (Ally Ioannides), her fiancé, Kyle (Toussaint Morrison), Troy (Tim James White), and Dana (Natassia Wakey) to a secluded cabin in the woods. But the group’s planned peaceful getaway is violently interrupted, when Jason Voorhees (Schuyler White) appears….

My Thoughts- Writer/director Mike P. Nelson squarely puts the spotlight on Ally Ioannides’ Eve. Eve starts out as someone, who’s shy and a little bit insecure, because she’s not quite sure why Kyle chose her. 

Of course, Eve has to go through her phase of being the frazzled victim after Jason’s first attack. Towards the end, Eve makes a big transition to being a fierce and resilient fighter. She completely snaps, but there’s no screaming, or over the top hysterics from Eve. No, it’s more of a silent and strangely focused form of rage from her. Some good facial expressions and a solid performance from Ally Ioannides, and when the credits start rolling, you’ll understand why Eve is a “force of nature.”

Jason Voorhees is back! Honestly, I didn’t have a big problem with the look, Jason’s wardrobe, or the mask. Jason showed up, brutally murdered a lot of people, and he terrorized a group of friends, who just wanted to have some fun? Sweet Revenge easily checks off the important boxes for one of Jason Voorhees’ killing sprees. 

Schuyler White? Just going by White’s movements and his demeanor as Jason, you can see he put a good amount of effort into staying true to the character. White does his best to capture the fine details for Jason. There’s no denying that, and you really can’t compare him to the likes of a Kane Hodder, or Ted White (my personal favorite pick for the best version of Jason Voorhees). It’s a short film, and Jason makes his first appearance at a little bit past nine minutes for a movie that goes slightly over fifteen minutes. No short glimpses, or physical teases before the scene, where he grabs Eve. That’s it.  

And let’s not forget, Sweet Revenge is sponsored by Angry Orchard Hard Cider! I expected the product placement throughout Sweet Revenge to be shameless to a point, where it’s impossible to ignore, but it’s really not that bad. Sure, you can clearly see the Angry Orchard branded bottles in more than one scene, but I did get a good laugh out of one scene, where Eve finds a corpse with a freshly picked apple stuffed into the victim’s mouth. 

What’s important for me is, Sweet Revenge simply helps reintroduce Jason Voorhees. You’re reminded of how dangerous Jason is, a brutal force to be reckoned with. Hopefully, Sweet Revenge is the first sample sized serving for a potentially bright future, because Jason Voorhees is too big of a name in the world horror movies to just sit on the sidelines. 

I would’ve preferred to see Jason’s return on the big screen. But the Friday The 13th remake was released in 2009. Sixteen years is way too long. Voorhees is more than worthy of a spot on anyone’s Mount Rushmore for horror icons/villains, so I’m just glad they finally gave us SOMETHING new. 

Sweet Revenge sort of spirals out of control towards the end. One bonkers series of events after another, there’s a handful of ridiculous moments (Jason stabs Eve through her chest with a machete….and Eve miraculously pulls it out without bleeding to death), and it’s painfully easy to predict the sole survivor, or the final girl. 

Still, it’s a harmless slasher short. A good amount of bloody violence, nasty gore, and the not so subtle foreshadowing (you know something bad is going to happen, when the motor for the fishing boat makes an appearance) sets up two gruesome kills. Chris Carlson’s Harold is a creepy old pervert, but his character also works as the harbinger of doom here. And there’s a good callback to the original Friday The 13th film, when Jason snatches Eve out of the canoe. 

I’m not a huge fan of the modern trend, where almost everything needs to be some kind of shared universe, but I’m looking forward to the Crystal Lake series. For the first time in years, it looks like we’re actually seeing progress for Jason Voorhees. A short film, the Crystal Lake series, a new video game, and hopefully a full length feature film in the near the future? This is how it’s supposed to be done. Do a big rollout, and go all out for the kind resurrection that’ll drive Tommy Jarvis crazy!  

Rating- 5/10

Jason Universe: Sweet Revenge (2025)

 **This post contains spoilers**

The Story- Harold (Chris Carlson), the caretaker, welcomes  Eve (Ally Ioannides), her fiancé, Kyle (Toussaint Morrison), Troy (Tim James White), and Dana (Natassia Wakey) to a secluded cabin in the woods. But the group’s planned peaceful getaway is violently interrupted, when Jason Voorhees (Schuyler White) appears….

My Thoughts- Writer/director Mike P. Nelson squarely puts the spotlight on Ally Ioannides’ Eve. Eve starts out as someone, who’s shy and a little bit insecure, because she’s not quite sure why Kyle chose her. 

Of course, Eve has to go through her phase of being the frazzled victim after Jason’s first attack. Towards the end, Eve makes a big transition to being a fierce and resilient fighter. She completely snaps, but there’s no screaming, or over the top hysterics from Eve. No, it’s more of a silent and strangely focused form of rage from her. Some good facial expressions and a solid performance from Ally Ioannides, and when the credits start rolling, you’ll understand why Eve is a “force of nature.”

Jason Voorhees is back! Honestly, I didn’t have a big problem with the look, Jason’s wardrobe, or the mask. Jason showed up, brutally murdered a lot of people, and he terrorized a group of friends, who just wanted to have some fun? Sweet Revenge easily checks off the important boxes for one of Jason Voorhees’ killing sprees. 

Schuyler White? Just going by White’s movements and his demeanor as Jason, you can see he put a good amount of effort into staying true to the character. White does his best to capture the fine details for Jason. There’s no denying that, and you really can’t compare him to the likes of a Kane Hodder, or Ted White (my personal favorite pick for the best version of Jason Voorhees). It’s a short film, and Jason makes his first appearance at a little bit past nine minutes for a movie that goes slightly over fifteen minutes. No short glimpses, or physical teases before the scene, where he grabs Eve. That’s it. 

Eve kills Dana before a teased one on one showdown with Jason! Sweet Revenge ends with a bloody and chaotic finale. Eve catches Kyle kissing Dana, so Eve gets her revenge by killing Dana, when they’re trying to escape Jason together. Eve, jamming the knife through Dana’s skull, while she’s speeding down the road, is a gnarly scene. 

On the surface, you could say Eve killing Dana was a bit random, but not entirely. Dana bailed on Eve TWICE during Jason’s rampage inside the cabin. On top of that, Eve saved Dana from Jason, and Dana would’ve left her at the cabin, if she had the keys to the car! Yeah, you can understand why Eve was pissed. And there’s a brief shot of a Camp Crystal Lake sign, when Dana is driving. Good timing for the official reveal for Crystal Lake, one of the final pieces of the story that ties Jason’s lore together after the massacre. 

There’s more spotlight on Eve during the finale. The spaced-out and catatonic look on Ally Ioannides face is perfect. You’re witnessing a woman, who’s been through hell. Betrayal, violence, murder, and the sight of mangled corpses. Eve endured a lot, and she was still ready to fight Jason alone, with a smile, and the dried-up blood on her face was a nice touch. Sweet Revenge ends with a cliffhanger before the fight between Eve and Jason starts, and you have to wonder if Eve will somehow return, or at least play a role in the new Jason Universe. 

And let’s not forget, Sweet Revenge is sponsored by Angry Orchard Hard Cider! I expected the product placement throughout Sweet Revenge to be shameless to a point, where it’s impossible to ignore, but it’s really not that bad. Sure, you can clearly see the Angry Orchard branded bottles in more than one scene, but I did get a good laugh out of one scene, where Eve finds a corpse with a freshly picked apple stuffed into the victim’s mouth. 

What’s important for me is, Sweet Revenge simply helps reintroduce Jason Voorhees. You’re reminded of how dangerous Jason is, a brutal force to be reckoned with. Hopefully, Sweet Revenge is the first sample sized serving for a potentially bright future, because Jason Voorhees is too big of a name in the world horror movies to just sit on the sidelines. 

I would’ve preferred to see Jason’s return on the big screen. But the Friday The 13th remake was released in 2009. Sixteen years is way too long. Voorhees is more than worthy of a spot on anyone’s Mount Rushmore for horror icons/villains, so I’m just glad they finally gave us SOMETHING new. 

Sweet Revenge sort of spirals out of control towards the end. One bonkers series of events after another, there’s a handful of ridiculous moments (Jason stabs Eve through her chest with a machete….and Eve miraculously pulls it out without bleeding to death), and it’s painfully easy to predict the sole survivor, or the final girl. 

Still, it’s a harmless slasher short. A good amount of bloody violence, nasty gore, and the not so subtle foreshadowing (you know something bad is going to happen, when the motor for the fishing boat makes an appearance) sets up two gruesome kills. Chris Carlson’s Harold is a creepy old pervert, but his character also works as the harbinger of doom here. And there’s a good callback to the original Friday The 13th film, when Jason snatches Eve out of the canoe. 

I’m not a huge fan of the modern trend, where almost everything needs to be some kind of shared universe, but I’m looking forward to the Crystal Lake series. For the first time in years, it looks like we’re actually seeing progress for Jason Voorhees. A short film, the Crystal Lake series, a new video game, and hopefully a full length feature film in the near the future? This is how it’s supposed to be done. Do a big rollout, and go all out for the kind resurrection that’ll drive Tommy Jarvis crazy!  

Rating- 5/10

Character Spotlight- Megan Garris- Friday The 13th Part VI: Jason Lives

**This post contains spoilers**

Jason Voorhees is back from the dead! Jason kills Tommy Jarvis’ (Thom Mathews) friend, Allen Hawes (Ron Palillo). Determined to protect the peace in the quiet town of Forest Green, Sheriff Mike Garris (David Kagen) and his trusted Deputy, Rick (Vincent Guastaferro) dismiss Tommy’s pleas for help to stop a resurrected Jason, as ramblings from a delusional nutcase. Sheriff Garris forces Tommy to leave Forest Green, and when that doesn’t work, Sheriff Garris locks him inside a holding cell. Tommy needs an ally to stop Jason, and there’s only one person, who’s willing to help: Sheriff Garris’ daughter, Megan (Jennifer Cooke)!

If you’re going to take the dangerous risk of confronting Jason, you need someone fearless and bold, and Megan might be a little bit crazy. Think about how Tommy sternly warned Megan to stay away from the campsite before the final showdown with Jason. She didn’t flinch at all. Sheriff Garris’ stern warnings and demands to stay away from Tommy? Not enough to stop her. 

The high-speed car chase was the first sign of loyalty from Megan, and let’s not forget Tommy would’ve been stuck in the holding cell, if Megan didn’t grab Deputy Rick’s gun. Megan was dedicated to helping Tommy, and the fact that she noticeably has a crush on him also helps. 

Megan is bratty, but in a playful way, and she has a sharp sense of humor. Megan’s cool, and it’s not just the orange ‘77 Camaro that she drives. Jennifer Cooke brings natural charisma and a magnetic presence to Megan. The scene, where Megan holds Deputy Rick at gunpoint with his new mail order laser scope is one of my favorites. Rick tells her she shouldn’t clown around. Megan’s response? “I’m not the one with the funny red nose.”

A true daredevil, and she can be reckless, but Megan also has a big heart. She showed compassion for Tommy, when no one else wanted to. Megan cares about her friends, Cort (Tom Fridely), Sissy (Renee Jones), Paula (Kerry Noonan), and she protected the kids at the campsite. 

Big contributions from Megan. She saved Tommy’s life, and with some help from the propellers on the boat’s motor and Tommy’s trap, Megan put a stop to another one of Jason’s killing sprees. 

Tommy and Megan are both unhinged in their own ways. Together, they’re the kind of duo you need to fight Jason Voorhees, and there’s no denying Megan Garris is a memorable Friday The 13th character. Megan, the dynamo blonde, with a fierce appetite for danger and adventure, powered by Jennifer Cooke’s enjoyable and electric performance. A camp counselor, the Sheriff’s daughter, Tommy Jarvis’ love interest, and she battled Jason Voorhees? That’s one hell of a résumé for a horror heroine!